How-to Find All of the Rock Carving Locations in Red Dead Redemption 2

Our Rock Carving Locations guide will walk you through finding all of the stone carvings to complete this mission in RDR 2. Doing so will walk you through an interesting story, and will reward you with some unique items and one that helps you complete a Talisman.

Start the Mission: Geology for Beginners

Before you set out looking for the various rock carvings in RDR 2, you will need to start the quest. To do this you will need to find the Stranger that is north west of the town of Strawberry. After you've started the mission, you'll need to mail the coordinates for each of them to Francis Sinclair from any Post Office. You can wait and do these all at once.

"Geology for Beginners" Stranger Location

Rock Carving Rewards

For finding some or all of the Rock Carvings you will receive some rewards!

One Rock Carving: Kentucky Bourbon and $10 dollars.

Five Rock Carvings: Rock Statue

Ten Rock Carvings: Old Brass Compass which is used to create a Talisman.

RDR 2 Rock Carving Locations List

Here's a full list of the Rock Carvings you can find in the game. I'm including a video that should help if you get lost on some of these. I will try to describe them as best as possible, but some can be a bit trickier to find. Along with descriptions of where to find them, I am including a brief and poorly explained bit about what exactly the carving looks like.

Rock Carving Location #1

We're heading back up into the snow for the first location. Be sure to have some winter clothes on so you don't burn out your cores too much. Just off the path up to Mount Hagen you will find a rock carving of a blimp over a city.

Rock Carving Location #1

Rock Carving Location #2

For the second location, we'll be heading to the Whimyard Strait that's north of Granite Pass and to the west of Cotorra Springs. Head off the bridge and on the left side of the water and into the side of the wall. This one is hard to describe, it looks like people doing yoga poses maybe?

Rock Carving Location #2

Rock Carving Location #3

On this mountainous area to the west of the Cumberland Forest and just east of the Dakota River you can find the third stone carving. You'll see kind of a path around this mountain area, run around it and you should run into it. This carving looks like a city being hit with an atomic bomb, there's even a atomic icon etched into it.

Rock Carving Location #3

Rock Carving Location #4

Number four is going to be found right near to Bacchus Station up on the mountains to the south west of it and to the north east of Fort Wallace. Head to this area and then up the mountain and facing towards the bridge you'll see kind of a pathway. Go around to the left and follow this little path and you will find the carving. This one looks like either a depiction of just an angel, or possibly could be Icarus who flew too close to the sun.

Rock Carving Location #4

Rock Carving Location #5

For the fifth carving you can find it south of Moonstone Pond and the Grizzlies East. In one of the mountainous peaks you'll find here there will be the stone carving of the Egyptian pyramids.

Rock Carving Location #5

Rock Carving Location #6

Onto the sixth rock carving, we'll be heading to the very north east part of the map in Annesburg on the Roanoke Ridge. This is just east of the Deer Cottage which should be marked on your map. Just off the path, you'll see some mountainous areas and on one of them is the carving you are looking to grab. This also looks Egyptian and has the Sphinx, but is also alluding to a comet and a person walking through a portal of some kind.

Rock Carving Location #6

Rock Carving Location #7

Head onto the seventh rock carving location will take us right near the Elysian Pool. This is just south of Annesburg and to the north west of the Van Horn Trading Post. This one should be pretty obvious to find, it's right off the path circled on the map below and is etched into a pretty unique rocky area. This is a pretty interesting carving, it depicts a couple of human heads, both males and female, with what could look like creation?

Rock Carving Location #7

Rock Carving Location #8

The eighty location has you traveling north east of Flatneck Station and near the Dakota River. Climb up this area and look for the side of the mountain that is vertical and run alongside it to the right until you run into the rock carving. This carving features a stagecoach but also looks to be showing the guy from the portal presenting the invention of the wheel.

Rock Carving Location #8

Rock Carving Location #9

The ninth carving can be found in Big Valley near Mount Shann and to the north east of Hawks Eye Creek. This is another snowy area, so equip some winter gear when you head here. It's not too far off the beaten path that loops around up the mountain. It's basically right along the dotted path, and you'll know you are in the right place if you come across a rocky overhang with some dinosaur bones under it. The stone carving is of a DNA double helix.

Rock Carving Location #9

Rock Carving Location #10

For the tenth and final rock carving you will be heading west of Strawberry and right along the coast of the Owanjila lake. You'll be right near the water and see some rock formations cropping up near the shore. In the second tier will be the carving that is of circles and maybe the sun along the lines of some of the other things we saw in the previous carvings.

Rock Carving Location #10

Head to the Post Office

After you've completed all of the carvings you will want to go to the post office and send off the coordinates in the mail. You'll have to now wait two days to get an invitation from Francis Sinclair at the post mail. Grab the invitation and you will then open up the next step of the mission.

Finish the Mission: Geology for Beginners - II

Head to the exact same spot you started this whole mission at to talk things over with Francis Sinclair. I won't spoil the ending of the mission, but it's an interesting conclusion if you finish it!

About the Author

Evident is a lifelong gamer and creator of websites. He mostly focuses on shooters, but has been known to dabble in the occasional card game as well. You can find him binge watching TV shows in his downtime.